Friday, June 28, 2013

Tim and I got up early this morning, leaving the youngest three snoozing in the hotel room, to stake a spot on the chapel wall overlooking the large open field (I'm sure it has a name and I'm sure that name has initials in order to completely confuse the uneducated, but being an unitiated newby I'll just call it "the field" TF) at the Air Force Academy. We sat and did our Bible studies from 6:30 am (yes, we got a good spot!) until the new basic cadet action started around 8:00. We were quite far, but that didn't stop me from popping my eyes out of my head trying to locate Zach through my zoom lens of the camera. Try as I did, I was unsuccessful. However, once the oath taking ceremony (OTC--ok I'll stop now) began, we were blessed. Zach's squadron, The Executioners, ( I was upset about the name until I heard some of the other names...Hellcats, Demons....then I was ok with it.) marched right to the place where we had supposed they would and had positioned ourselves. Even better, he was in the front row which was critical, because you couldn't see anybody past the second row! I felt so sorry for the mom next to me who wanted to see her son, but she couldn't make him out in the group. I tried to help her, but even with my zoom lens was unsuccessful.Anyway, it was easy to pick out Zach. He's second from the right: Love my ZOOM.

I was impressed with how well they marched. It must have been intense to learn so quickly!

Here's the Wing Commander.

Enough said I think.

We couldn't begin to see him this well, but later this afternoon, I loaded the image on the computer and zoomed in, and this is what I got.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

We've been tooling around Colorado for five days now, getting used to the altitude with it's breathless exertions, headaches, dry skin and extreme temperature changes.

Love the mountains!

I hope to blog about the great time we've had, but I know a lot of family will be curious about how today went, and I want to show them the best that I can.

First, though, I would like to let you know that God saw fit to send me one of the worst five sinus colds I've ever had in my life. As we rode in the car last Saturday, I thought to myself, "I actually feel relaxed! Everything's done! I forgot what relaxed feels like!"

Four hours later I felt the tickle in my throat.

"It's just the dry air."

(It was not the dry air.)

"It's the altitude."

(We were still in Nebraska.)

SO...all week in the mountains of Colorado,

I've been producing copious amounts of snot.

Which, combined with sunshine and dry air, has chapped my lower face and caused my eyes to puff to the point where I look like I've been crying....constantly...

Which brings me to the blessing part which was...all day long...throughout the whole inprocessing, people were patting me, telling me it was going to be ok, giving me stuffed animals (ok the stuffed animal went to Lily who really was crying), telling me congratulations...

to the point where I actually ended up crying relatively little!

It was awkward to say "I'm not crying; I have a cold."

So I just went with it.

Now you have the background.

There is one and only one photo of me where I am actually crying.

We'll have a contest to see who can tell.

(My mom is disqualified; she knows me too well.)

Here we are at PF Changs last night.

The Last Dinner.

Signing more forms.

It was very difficult to know where to go until we realized that we should just follow the crowd.

That was the plan.

Waiting for the "Briefing."

This was right before a guy came up and started giving Lily and me gifts.

Nice guy.

Lily accepted the gifts but refused to smile...

she can really smell a rat, and I think this smile was her last for awhile.

Welcome!

Many years ago, my future father-in-law would always say to me, "Are you happy on the way?" I found the question odd. (Sometimes I WAS, and sometimes I WASN'T! And just what "way" was he referring to?!) Over the years, though, I've begun to understand the question and the journey it speaks of. This site is a reflection of my life, my faith, what I've learned on my own and what others have taught me...oh and there will be food. There's always food! Come and laugh with me. Welcome.

About Me

I'm 42 (Ugh. Did I just start out with my age? I hate updating this ev-er-y year) and am a follower of Jesus Christ. I am married to a great guy named Tim who practices intellectual property law and am mother to five children ages 18, 17, 15, 12 and 6! I enjoy Bible Study, reading and trying to keep our busy household together. Sort of . I mean sort of together...not that I sort of enjoy it... I like to cook and garden too, although time is limited. Blogging is my outlet, my way of processing what's going on in my life and my way of taking a second grateful look at the blessings God has graciously bestowed!